In Parliamentary drama this week, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ministry has been ordered to immediately establish a board for the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) as a requirement for passing their budget for the current financial year. UCC, is the body assigned to regulate the communications sector in Uganda and it has not had a board for more than two years. The NewVisionreports that while debating the report of the committee on ICT on the ministerial policy statement and budget estimates for the financial year 2013/14, MPs Mathias Mpuuga, Nandala Mafabi, Ababiku Jessica and Christine Abia faulted State Minister for ICT Nyombi Thembo over his ministry’s failure to constitute a board for UCC, a condition they described as “an illegality.”

““UCC has for the last three years been hiring staff and spending public funds illegally because they have no board yet the minister continues to promise to constitute one during every budget process,””

— MP Mpuga

The ICT’s Minister’s attempts to lobby for a three month period to set up a board were deemed “exorbitant,” as most of the legislators were pushing for a shorter period. By end of day the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga ruled that the board be set up before the ministry’s budget is approved.